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Flatiron District, United States

The Flatiron Building is instantly recognisable; built in 1902, the ‘vertical Renaissance palazzo’ stands tall at the border of uptown and downtown, with crowds and traffic streaming by on Broadway and 5th. Staying here puts you at the heart of New York, the district’s bordered by NoMad, Lexington, Chelsea, Union Square and Greenwich Village. The Empire State Building is a 10-minute walk away, Madison Square Park is a pretty fountain-dotted patch of green behind the Flatiron and Madison Square Gardens is still the site of large-scale events. Aside from glittering musical productions and indulging your inner foodie – restaurants such as 11 Madison Park and the ABC Kitchen have put this district on the map – there are historic sites such as Teddy Roosevelt’s birthplace and the Ladies Mile Historic District. If you want something a little saucier, the Museum of Sex, at 5th and East 27th, beckons.

Smith Extra on arrival

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Getting there

Planes

The nearest airport to the hotel is La Guardia, which has flights from most major US cities on airlines including United (www.unitedairlines.com) and British Airways (www.britishairways.com). Newark and JFK (the biggest international entry point for NYC) are within an hour-long drive, too.

Trains

Penn Station, the hub for Amtrak (www.amtrak.com) and the Long Island Rail Road (www.lirr.org) is just a short walk from the neighbourhood. Grand Central Station, where you can hop on the Metro North (www.mta.info) to Connecticut and beyond, is a short cab ride away.

Automobiles

New York can be a driver’s nightmare. If you arrive by car, stow it in a garage for the duration of the trip to avoid traffic and the near-impossible street parking.